Stringed musical instrument.



No. 636,692. Patented Nov. 7, I899. F. L. PATCH.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed .Tan. 4, 1899." (.N o M o d e l FIGS. F'G.i. 'FIGA.FIGB. 1'7

/N VENTOH A TTORNEYS.

THE NdRRIS PETERS co, PuoToumo. \wsnmmm. u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK LEONARD PATCH, OF PHILLIPSDALE, RIIODE ISLAND.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,692, dated November*7, 1899.

Application filed January 4, 1899. Serial No. 701,121. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern/.-

Be itknown that I,FRANK LEONARD PATCH, of Phillipsdale, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and ImprovedStringed Musical Instrument, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stringedmusical instrument which I call a melochord and which is simple anddurable in construction, very rich and mellow in tone when played,convenient to be played without causing much fatigue to the performer,and arranged to readily produce a tremolo effect whenever desired.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be'fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the tremolo attachmentand hand-rest. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 5 is anenlarged transverse sectional view of details of the improvement on theline 5 5 in Fig. 1.

The improved stringed musical instrument is provided with a body A,approximately pear-shaped and terminating at its apex in a hollow neck13, carrying a head 0, in which is mounted tuning-pegs D for strings E,extending overa bridge F and attached to atailpiece G, secured to thetop of the body A, as is plainlyindicated in the drawings. The bridge Fextends across the sound-opening A in the top of the body A, and thestrings E extend over a finger-board I-I, attached to the neck B and theapex of the body A, as is plainly indicated in the drawings.

On the edge of the body A, at the lower end thereof, is a knee-rest I,made approximately U-shaped to permit of conveniently supporting theinstrument on the knee of the performer when using the instrument andexecuting the desired music.

On one side of the tailpiece G is secured a hand-rest J, extendinglengthwise over the body approximately parallel with the strings, thehand-rest J being curved at its middle portion J and having a notch inthe bottom thereof for the passage of one side of the bridge F, as isplainly indicated in the drawings.

It is evident by the arrangement described, that the operator canconveniently place one hand on the hand-rest J and pick the strings, atthe same time that the instrument is, with the knee-rest I, on theperformers knee, the other hand pressing the strings E over thefinger-board, according to the music to be executed.

On the upper face of the bridge F is secured a transversely-extendingplate K (see Fig. 5) for supporting-springs L, extending under thestrings over the sound-opening A, the free ends of the springs carryinga transversely-extending rod N, on which are secured balls 0, arrangedin alinement with the several strings E, as is plainly indicated in thedrawings.

hen the instrument is in a horizontal or an approximately verticalposition, the balls 0 are out of contact with the strings E, and when itis desired to produce a tremolo effect then the operator tilts theinstrument farther over to permit the balls to drop against the underside of the strings, so that when the strings are now picked a tremoloeffect is produced.

It is understood that when the balls rest against the strings and thelatter are picked the vibrations of the strings cause a vibration of theballs to produce the tremolo effect mentioned, the balls being free tovibrate, as they are spring-supported.

\Vhen the instrument is moved back to its normal position, the balls bytheir own weight swing away from the strings, the springs being heldsufficiently yielding for the purpose. Thus by the operator slightlytilting the instrument, as described, the tremolo attachment is broughtinto use, and said attachment can be readily put out of action bytilting the instrument back to its normal position.

By giving the shape mentioned to the top A and making the neck B hollowI obtain a very resonant tone of a rich and mellow quality when pickingthe strings of the instrument, and byhaving the hand-rest J and theknee-rest I the performer is enabled to read ily execute any desiredmusic without much fatigue.

By making the neck B hollow the vibratory power of the instrumentisgreatlyincreased, and it is evident that such neck may be applied togreat advantage on other stringed musical instruments, such as violins,guitars, (be. By arranging the bridge over the sound opening instead ofto one side thereof, as is generally practiced, I am enabled to bringthe strongest or loudest soundsdirectly into the opening to strike thebottom of body with. such sounds, and thereby insure a correspondingloudness of the lllStl'illl'lGllb, as the bottom, acting as asounding-board, gives the tones back distinctlyand exceedingly strong orfull. The hand-rest J is bulged out to give sufficient room for thebridge.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as newand desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. Astringed musicalinstrument,comprising anapproximately pear-shaped body having a sound-opening, a hollow neck, ahead carrying tuning-pins for the strings, a tailpiece for the strings,a bridge spanning the sound-opening, a hand-rest carried by thetailpiece and extending over the body alongside the strings, and atremolo attachment carried by the bridge and standing normally betweenthe top of the body and the strings, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. Astringed musical instrument comprising a bodyhavinga sound-openingin itstop, a knee-rest at the lower end of the body, a hand-restextending over the body alongside the strings, a bridge extending acrossthe sound-opening in the top of the body and a tremolo attachmentcarried by the bridge and adapted to engage the under side of thestrings, substantially as described.

3. A stringed musical instrument provided with a body having a knee-restsecured to the side of the body at the lower end thereof, the knee-restbeing approximately U-shaped in cross-section, the curvature of saidknee-rest extending transversely to said side, substantially asdescribed.

4. A stringed musical instrument having a body with a sound-opening inits top, a bridge secured at its ends to the said body and extendingover the sound-opening, a tailpiece and a hand-rest arranged alongsidethe strings and the sound-opening and extending from the tailpiece to apoint beyond the soundopening, substantially as shown and described.

5. A stringed musical instrument provided with a tremolo attachment inthe form of spring-supported balls standing normally between the top ofthe body and the strings the said balls being adapted to engage theunder side of the strings when the instrument is tilted substantially asdescribed.

6. A stringed musical instrument provided with a body having asound-opening a bridge spanning the said opening, and a tremoloattachment carried by the bridge and standing normally between the topof the body and the strings, over the sound-opening, the said tremoloattachment being provided with means for engaging the under side of thestrings, substantially as described.

'7. A stringed musical instrument provided with a tremolo attachmentcomprising a spring-supported rod held between the strings and the topof the body of the instrument and in front of the bridge, and balls onthe said rod, substantially as shown and described.

8. A stringed musical instrument having a body with a sound-opening inits top, a bridge secured at its ends to the said body and a tremoloattachment comprising springs carried by said bridge, and ballssupported by the springs, the balls being arranged transversely over thesound-opening and standing normally between the top of the body and thestrings, and adapted when the instrument is tilted to drop against theunder side of the strings, substantially as described.

9. A stringed musical instrument provided with a hand-rest secured onone side of the tailpiece and extending lengthwise over the body at oneside of the sound-opening and approximately parallel with the strings,sub- .stantially as shown and described.

10. A stringed musical instrument provided with a hand-rest extendingover the body alongside the strings, the middle portion of the restbeing curved and having a notch in the bottom thereof for the passage ofthe bridge, substantially as shown and described.

11. Astringed musical instrument,provided with a tremolo attach ment,comprisin g springs supported from the bridge, a transverse rod held on thefree ends of said springs, and balls on said rod, substantially as shownand described.

12. A stringed musical instrumentprovided with a body having asound-opening, a bridge havinga transversely'cxtendingplate securedthereto, springs supported by said plate and extending under the stringsover the sound opening, a transversely-extending rod carried at the freeends of the springs, and balls secured to the said rod and arranged inalinement with the several strings, substantially as described.

FRANK LEONARD PATCH.

W'itnesses:

RICHARD E. LYMAN, ROBERT B. HEALY.

